Conveyer system.



Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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CONVEYER SYSTEM.

' APPLICATION FILED n.4, 1913.

S. OLSON.

CONVEYER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.4, 1913. 1 1 135 31 6. Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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v S. OLSON.

GONVEYER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1913.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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S. OLSON.

couvevaa SYSTEM.

APPLICATION HL\ED R24, 1913. I

' Patented Apr. 13, 1915 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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S. OLSON. CONVEYER SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1913.

Patented Apr. 13,; 12115.

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SAMUEIIJ'OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVEYER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 13, 1915,

Application filed April 4, 1913. Serial No. 758,759.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known thatI, SAMUEL Onson, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicago, in' the county of Cook andState of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inGonveyer Systems, of which the following isa specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forininga part thereof;

'lhisdnvention relates to improvements in conveying machinery and has todo part cularly with devices for rendering the transfer ofmaterialfromone conveyer to the other entirely automatic, and further includes anarrangcmentof horizontal convey erswith asingle vertical travelingconveyor or elevator adapted to make the maximum use of such verticalconveyor.

The inrention'consists in-the various featuresand elements and theircombinations hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings asindicated bythe appended claims. r,

lit-the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation ot'avertical conveyor and various horizontal conveyers associated therewithin accordance with this invention.

' Fig; side elevation illustrating varione related features of theconveyors, i, B and-E. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation 1llusvationillustrating theinter-related features of the conveyor A and theconveyer D. Fig.

5 is a'plan view partly in section taken indicated atthe line 5.' onFig. 2. Fig. 3

is a detail section taken as indicated at the line, fie-6, on Fig.5.

Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical conveyor or elevator, A, indicating theprincipal details of construction of this elevator, and showing only indiagram the relative positions of certain associated horizontalconveyors, designated as B, C, D and E. From this figure, however, itwill be seen that the vertical conveyor, A, is designed to. be uti lizedboth for elevating packages at one ply of its'traveling belt, A, andfor'lowcring packages at the other ply of said belt. The cars orcarriers for this purposcare in the form of trays, A", which arepivotally engaged with the belt or chain, A, and guided so as-to projecthorizontally therefrom for supporting their loads. The guide meansconsists of a pair of rollers, A symmetriaxis of engagement of the traywith the belt at A, and supported by oppositely extending arms, A Asindicated in the plan view in Fig. 5, each tray, A is provided with twopairs of guide rollers, A, which travel in guide channels, A, formed inany convenient manner and positioned at the cxtreme sides of theconveyor, that is, outside the carrying belts or chains,.A and justbeyond the lateral limits of the trays, A At the end of its downwardtravel each tray, Si passes radially around the foot-wheels, A and isthus inverted for use in its upward travel at the other side. Thestresses in the arms, A transmitting the reactions of the loaded traysto the opposite walls of the guide channel, A are thus reversed, but byvirtue of their symmetrical arrangement these arms are equally adaptedto transmit tension or compression, while the upper and under sides ofthe trays are exactly similar and are both arranged for supporting aload.

It will be understood thattzx: trays do not retain their loads inpassing around the head wheels or foot wheels of the vertical conveyor,A, but merely transfer such loads from lower to higher positions or viceversa, at one side of the vertical conveyor. Fig. 2 shows one' end of 'ahorizontal conveyor, 13, designed to deliver material to the verticalconveyor, A, at its ascending side. The trays, A", of the conveyor, A,are of lingered construction and the trays, B of the horizontal conveyorare similarly formed, and

so mounted that their fingers, B see Fig. 5, will intermeniber with thefingers, A of the trays, A The carrying chains, B pass around wheelswhich revolve about horizontal axes, and, as shown, these wheels, B, aremounted adjacent to the vertical conveyor so as to bring the trays, Binto posi- I tion to intermember with the t'ays, A '1: he belt, B isdriven in the opposite directwo to the belt, A so that as the loadedtray, 13-, passes downwardly around the lOQ wheels. 13, its load will betransferred to" the ascending tray, A of the vertical con.-

vcyer, and for maintaining the horizontal position of the tray, 13*,until it has thus delivered its load there are provided guide tracks, Band 13*, positioned to engage guiderollers, B carried on symmetricalarms, B which extend from the point of engagement of the tray with thechains at B, this construction being similar in appea-raucoto that ofthe trays, A As it appreaches the conveyer, A, along the upper course ofthe chain, 13, the tray, B is supported l'iorizontally by the lowerguide rollers, I5", and supplemental carrying wheels or rollers, l5,mounted on the under side of the tray and traveling on the tracks, Bbut, after passing the point at which the tracks, B, curve downwardly,the supplemental rollers, 13*, would fail to maintain the horizontalposition of the tray, B and for this purpose there are provided thewheels, 13*", journaled on the shaft, 13", of the'chain wheels, B, andpositioned to support the tray by rolling engagement with the undersides of certain of its'fingers, B which-are especially formed with suchunder surfaces parallel to the upper or loadsupporting surface of thetray. In this manner the tray is carried from the position in which therollers, B", fail to support it to a position at which the rollers, Bcan act horizontally against the downwardly curving tracks, B and B",the tray from tipping until its load has been transferred to the tray, Aof the vertical conveyer. From the point of such transfer the guidetracks form a mere groove which is concentric about the axis of thechain wheels, B and thus causes the tray to swing radially about theremaining quarter of the turn..

It will be noted that as the tray travels around the upper quarterwheels, B the rollers, B must pass outside the tracks, B; to permitthis, these supplemental rollers, B, are formed to extend only abouthalf as far laterally as do the guide rollers, B so that notches, B, maybe cut in the tracks, B, to permit the passage of these short rollers,B", without completely depriving the rollers, B", of the support of thetracks. This construction is indicated in detail in Fig. 6.

In view of the fact that the transfer of the load from the conveyer, vcver, A, involves a con'ipartively sudden reversal of the direction ofmovement of such load. it is found desirable to provide a stationarylanding upon which the load may be deposited monu-ntarily by theconveyer 13. before it is picked up bv the. conveyer A, whereby theresultant shock is divided in halt". Hair-h a landing is illustrated ascomposed of s ries of 1 ates, l, standing on edge in position toMern'n-mhcr with the fingers of both the convevcrs, It and l5.-

These plates. I". may he supported in this upstamlling position in anyconvenient man- .et-n that the sup-tart provided must necessarily engagethe pl, tcs at some distance from their upper edges, F, which aredesigned to receive the load; to prevent these com miratively slenderplates. I". from vibrating laterally to such an extent as to fail toregister properly with and thus prevent of the chain will thus 15, tothe con-.

the wheels. C the vertical the fingersof the conveyer trays, thefingers, A of the travs, A are bifurcated so as to positively en age thesaid plates, F, near their point of support as the said trays passaround the foot wheels, A, and start upward; see dotted position oftray, A in Fig. 2. In this way the bifurcated fingers, A will assumecontrol of the plates, F, to prevent any lateral swaying thereof beforethe fingers of the trays, B arrive at the plane of transfer, and willretain such control until after the transfer has been completed.

The load having been elevated from the platform plates, 1, to theposition of the eonveyer, L, it;is removed from the elevator, A, by saidconveyer, C, and carried away in a horizontal j'direction. The trays ofthe conveyer, (,,'fare similar in construction to those of the convever,B, and auxiliary supporting wheels, C corresponding in function andopieration to the wheels, B", are provided'o; the chain Wheel shaft. Bymeans of an" extra set of idler pulleys, C, the belt, L9,", isgiven ashort vertical run parallel to the belt, A of the elevator and adjacentt hereto, so that in this distance there willjibe afforded sufficienttime for effecting the transfer of the load from the elevator to thetray, C since: in this case the trays ofthe two conveyers are travelingparallel in." the same direction. In entering upon this vertical portionof its travel the tray, (7, swings radially about the pulleys, C", thatby gearing together the conveyers, A and C, and properly timing thetray, C with respect to the tray, the former may be caused tointermember with the latter in such a way that as it assumes a'horizontal position in its upward travel its carrying surface will comeslightly above the carrying surface of the tray, A and remove the loadtherefrom, even though the linear velocities of the two trays besubstantially equal. But, as the tray, C recedes from the elevator, A,in passing over component of its velocitvrapidlv decreases, and topreventthe tray, AF, from overtaking the said trav, (T and assun'iingtheload, the guide cl1arniels,'.'\"', are specially widened at A, to causethe tray. A to rock downwardly about the point, and thus avoid contactwith the load on the tray, (1?, without vary ing its own rate of upwardtravel. the wheels, C", the tray travels horizontallv along thesupporting track, Cfl and its load may he removed many manner not. trav.traverses shown. after which the said the lower plv of the belt. C", and"e urns to the idler pulleys. U forfurth carrywith' the track. C, untilpulleys, 'C, 'i .t, permitted From rservice.- As indicated in Fig. 3. itis suspended in into swing downward about its point of con nection withthe belt at 0*, through an arc of about 90 degrees, so that its rollers,C, may engage the guide track, C, in proper order to bring the carryingsurface uppermost. To render this action smooth and avoid the pendulousswinging of the tray the track, C is sloped downwardly to itstermination, but is necessarily interrupted at C, to permit the passageof the lower rollers, C

'lhe elevator trays, A having completed their work at the ascending sideof the belt, A, pass over the head wheels, A and descend past thehorizontal conveyer, D, which is designed to feed them with material tobe transferred to the lower horizontal conveyer at that side denoted asE. In general construction the conveyor, D, is exactly simi lar to theconveyer, 33, already described, but since it transfers material to thevertical conveyor while traveling in the same direction as the latter,the combination involves a problem not met in the former case. As theloaded tray, D approaches the vertical conveyer, A, its load would blockthe intermembcring of the fingers of the tray with those oi the tray, Aif the latter projected in its descent, as it must after receiving theload; but, such conflict is prevented by widening the guide channel, A,at A, so as to cause the tray, A to descend in tilted position, asindicated in dotted lines, and thus to pass under the tray, D beforeassuming a horizontal position. Then by proper tiniing of the two traysthe upper surface of the tray, A may be made to assume a horizontalposition slightly above the carrying surface or" the tray, D and thusremove the load therefrom, even though the two trays be traveling in thesame direction at substantially equal speeds. After the instant oftransfer the tray, D is carried about the chain wheels in radialposition and thus automatically avoids the load on the descending tray,A

In order to right the tray, D, so as to cause it to return with theproper end forward, there is provided a wedge-like cam guide whose uppersurface I), engages the first roller, D as the tray approaches the wedgein depending position, while the lower surface, D, engages the otherroller, D an instant later, with the result that the depending end ofthe tray is swung upward bringing the supplemental rollers, l), on tothe guide track, I), by which the tray is thereafter retained in properrelation to its direction of travel. The remaining transfer of the loadfrom the tray A to v the conrcyer, E, involves no new principles and nonew construction over what has alreadv been described, though it may benoted that in this case the supplemental landing plates, F, are firstengaged and are controlled against lateral vibration by the fingers, E,of the trays, E said fingers being bifurcated for this purpose andengaging the plates, F, near their support.

I clain1:

1. in combination, a continuously traveling vertical conveyer comprisinga belt, trays extending horizontally and outwardly from both itsascending and descending plies, and guide devices for maintaining suchhorizontal position of such trays; and two horizontal conveyersassociated with such vertical conveyer at each .side thereof, and eachcomprising a belt traveling over a pulley adjacent to the verticalconveyor to gather with a tray engaged by said belt,rand guide devicesfor maintaining such tray in horizontal position as it passes aroundsaid pulley adjacent to the vertical conveyor; the two horizontalconveyors at each side of the vertical conveyor being adapted to travelin opposite directions with respect to each other, and the trays of thevertical conveyer being formed to intcrmeniber with those of thehorizontal conveyors for transferring loads from one to the other ofthem at either side of said vertical conveyor.

2. In combination, a continuously traveling vertical conveyor comprisinga belt,

and trays extending horizontally and outwardly from both its ascendingand descend ing plies, guide devices for maintaining such horizontalposition of said trays, and a plurality of horizontal conveyersassociated with such vertical conveyer, and each comprising a belttraveling over pulleys which rotate about horizontal axes, a trayengaged by said belt, a track for supporting said tray in horizontalposition at the upper ply of the belt, guide devices for maintainingsuch horizontal position of the tray as it passes vertically around thepulley adjacent to the vertical conveyer', all the trays of saidconveyors being of fingered construction, and the trays of thehorizontal conveyers being adapted to intermeinber with those of thevertical conveyer for automatic interchange of loads.

3. In combination, a conveyor comprising a belt mounted for verticaltravel, a tra engaged by said belt and extending horn zontally to oneside of the point of engagement. and guide devices for maintaining suchhorizontal position of said tray, and, a

said belt being mounted to pass adjacent to each other in oppositedirections, a tray carried by each belt extending horizontallytherefrom, and guidedevices for 1naintaining such horizontal position atthe adjacent portions of the belts, said trays being of fingeredconstruction adapted to intermernher with each other for transferring aload from the descending to the ascending tray.

5. In combination,- two conveyors, each comprising a continuouslytraveling belt, said belts being mounted to pass adjacent to each otherin opposite directions, a tray carried by each belt extendinghorizontally therefrom, and guide devices for maintaining suchhorizontal position at the adjacent portions of the belt, said traysbeing of fingered construction adapted to intermember with each otherfor transferring a load from the descending to the ascending tray, and astationarv landing comprising a series of upstanding flat-ended fingerspositioned to intermember with the fingers of both conveyer trays at theplane of transfer of the load for momentarily supporting said load toreduce the shock thereto resulting from the reversal of its direction ofmotion.

6. In combination, two conveyers, each comprising a continuouslytraveling belt, said belts being mounted to pass adjacent to each otherin opposite directions, a tray carried by each belt extendinghorizontally therefrom, and guide devices for maintaining suchhorizontal position at the adjacent portions of the belt, said traysbeing of fingered construction adapted to intermemher with each otherfor transferring a load from the descending to the ascending tray,

and a stationary landing comprising a series of plates standing on edgeand separated by intervals adapting them to intermember with the traysof both conveyors, the tray fingers of the ascending tray beingbifurcated to engage the respective plates of said platform in theirupward movement to the plane of transfer for steadying said plateslaterally.

"7. In combination, two conveyers each comprisingea continuouslytraveling belt, said belts ing mounted to pass ad acent to each other inapproximately parallel direactions, and a tray carried by each beltextending horizontally therefrom toward the other belt, said trays beingof fingered construction adapted to intermember with each other fortransferring a load from one conveyor to the other,

8. In combination, two conveyers, each comprising a continuouslytraveling belt, said belts being mounted to pass ad acent to each otherin approximately parallel directions, a tray carried by each beltextending horizontally therefrom toward the other belt, said trays beingof fingered construction adapted to intermember with each other, andmeans fer propelling said belts at such rclatiye speedsthat the tray ofone belt will pass the tray of the other in the parallel portions oftheir courses for transferring a load from one to the other.

9. In combination, two conveyers, each comprising a continuouslytraveling belt, said belts being mounted to travel approximatelyparallel to each other in the same direction, a tray carried by eachbelt extending horizontally therefrom toward the other belt in theparallel portions of their courses, said trays being of fingeredconstruction adapted to intermember with each othergand driving meansfor said conveyers adapted to propel one of them at a higher rate ofspeed than the other for transferring a load from the slower to thefaster conveyer.

10. In combination, two conveyers, each comprising a continuoslytraveling belt, said belts being mounted to pass adjacent to each otherin approximately parallel directions, a tray c'arried by each beltextending horizontally therefrom toward the other belt, said trays beingof fingered construction adapted to 'intermember with each other,

and guide devices controlling the angular position of one of said traysand adapted to cause said tray to swing downwardly from .ihorizontalosition for releasing its load to the tray 0 the other conveyen;

11. In combination, a conveyor comprising a belt mounted for verticaltravel, a

tray engaged by said belt extending horizontally to one side of thepoint of engagement, guide rollers associated with said tray,- and aguide track for the rollers for maintaining the tray normally inhorizontal position, and a second conveyor comprising a belt mounted forhorizontal traveland having alimited vertical run adjacent to theascending side of the vertical conveyer, a-

tray engaged by said belt, and guide devices for maintaining said trayin horizontal po sition as it passes adjacent to the vertical con'veyer,the trays of both conveyers being of fingered construction adapted tointermember with each other for transferring a load from the vertical tothe horizontal conveyer, and the guide track of the vertical conveyerbeing formed to permit the tray of; said conveyer to swing downwardlyand away from the load as said load is assumed by the tray of thehorizontal conveyer.

12. In combination, a conreyer comprising a belt mounted for verticaltravel, a tray engaged by said belt extending horizontally to one sideof the point of engagement, guide rollers associated with said tray, anda guide track for the rollers, for maintaining the tray normally inhorizontal position, and a second conveyer comprising a belt mounted forhorizontal travel and passing down cop? - tray engaged by said belt, andguide devices for maintaining said tray in horizontal p0- sltlon as 1tapproaches the vertlcal ccnveyer,

the trays of both conveyers being of fin.

gered construction adapted to intermember one Wlfih the other fortransferrlng a load from the horizontal to the vertical conveyer,

the guide track of the vertical conveyer being formed to permlt its trayto depend 0bliquely from the belt as in approaches the k point of suchtransfer, and said cram; being further formed to bring the tray tohorizon tal position at the polnt of transfer fer receiving the loadfrom the horizontal conveyer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, illinois,this 25th day of March, 1913.

- SAMUEL OLSQN. Witnesses:

R021. NrBnRToN, EDNA M. Meolzwosfi

